Meet the Scientists: Dr. Omar Abudayyeh and Dr. Jonathan Gootenberg

As the year comes to an end, we would like to thank everyone who listened to the FYI — For Your Innovation podcast. 2021 was another up and down year, as the world continues to battle the COVID-19 pandemic. In this final episode of 2021, we compiled some of our most interesting podcast episodes for you. Please enjoy this summary and tune back in when we return in 2022 with a new and improved version of FYI.

Check out the FYI – For Your Innovation Podcast ‘Best of 2021’. Because investing in innovation starts with understanding it. #FYIpodcast Key Points From This Episode:

Introducing today’s guests Dr. Omar Obadiah and Dr. Jonathan Gootenberg.
How Omar and Jonathan connected in college and started collaborating.
Omar and Jonathan’s interest in tool development and their work with CRISPR.
The fulfillment that comes with developing methods and tools that can uplift everyone in biology.
How sequencing proteins has progressed since Omar and Jonathan first started.
The idea of creating new diagnostic tools using CRISPR.
How CRISPR can be used to identify a virus in the body.
Why we need to continue to explore CRISPR as a diagnostic tool.
How fluorescence is used in CRISPR and its reaction when something is detected.
The next phase of development we can expect from CRISPR as it relates to devices and consumers.
The substantial amount of money that employers would save if employees didn’t come to work when they had symptoms of illness.
The role of RNA in gene editing.
Omar and Jonathan’s respective Eureka moments in their research.
How RNA’s transience affects its use in gene editing.
Some of the safety concerns with different gene-editing techniques and how they are addressed.
CRISPR’s level of precision and why that is so beneficial.
The safety profile of CRISPR versus small molecules.
How delivery will be different for RNA versus DNA editing.
The best tools for identifying the correct information and if there are any off-target edits.
Jonathan and Omar’s predictions for gene editing ten years from now.
Jonathan and Omar’s advice for students.
How Jonathan and Omar had to persevere against preconceptions in their institutions regarding teamwork and setting out on their own.
Why science benefits from collaboration.